Container



G. R. THOMSON CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 7, 1933.

Filed Feb. 1o, 1930 Feb. 7, 1933. Q R, THOMSQN 1,896,115

CONTAINER Filed Feb. 10, 1930 :5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented" Fel).l 7,y 1933 i,

UNITED STATES PATENT 10i-FICE GEoRGE n. THOMSON. E MARION, NEW fYonx, AssIGNoE or sIxTEEN AND TworI'IIIIsDs DER LCENT To In; HUGH MnEsoN,4 or MARION, NEW Yonx, sIxTEEN AND Two-THIRDS PEB, CENT 'ro IRWIN HLCOIIEN, 0E NEW YORK, N. Y., AND sIx'rEEN AND 'rwoJrHIE'Ds Pm cEN'rro WILSON PAEKHILI., or 'YoNxEEs NEW Yom:

CONTAINER Application filed ebruary 410,r 1930.Y Serial No. 427,198.

The. present invention relates to cartons for packingand shipping articles and embodies,.more specifically, an improved carton which embodies a fillerv adapted toreceive and effectively protect the contents of the lcarton from damage in shipping. In the usual carton now available, partitions are provided to form a plurality of cells Within the carton to receive the desired articles.

Y Where the articles are fragile, or susceptiblek of being bruised readily, the usual practice is to provide a lurality of Walls ing the cells. ,'Ihis expedient, designed to protect the contents of the carton more effectively, serves only to protect the contents againstV lateral shocks. Movement of the contentsr transversely to the vtopkiand bottom planes kof the carton is not cushioned and frequenty dama-ge results.k

It will furthermorebe seen that cartons of the above character are effective in protecting the contents against lateral shocks only when such contentsy are of the exact size to be received snugly inthe respective cells. If anvarticle is slightly over-size, bulging of thecell walls results andthe cushioning of suchwalls is considerably reduced andthe Walls weakened, ythus destroying their supporting and protecting ability. With v a view to overcoming this difficulty, cartons have been provided, the fillers of which are formed of a multiplicity of partition walls, the Walls being tapered to adapt them to receive articles of varying sizes. The manner 3 5 of cutting these partitions has resulted in top cell pieces ywhich are loose and do not effectively'resist lateral movement of thearticle Within the carton.` These cartons have relied' upon the article to bulge the cell walls 40 until its maximum diameter reaches the seating points ofthe "cell, thus Vreposing in such position. The consequent bulging tends to bruisethe contents, where the 'contents are susceptible' ofbruising, or break .f fragile articles. As noted above, thelability for deiinof the Walls to cushion the article-is materially impaired and an inferior article results. With the shifting of the filler and contents in transit, the articles zfrequently settle into rubbing contact with the bottom or the top of the carton and little assurance is had that safe shipping Will resultrl The present invention provides a container of improved construction, havin a multiplicity of cell Walls so constructe that the contents of the container are effectively seated therein and positively held against displacement Without having exerted thereon bruising or breaking stresses by the cell Walls.V In accordance with the above,.the cell WallsL are scored intermediate the top and bottom extremities thereof, the portion between the top of the partition Aand the scoring being disposed verticallywithin the container, While the remainder of the partition is tapered inwardly. The cooperatingfpartition wallsare so cut and interlocked thatl the portions thereof forming a cell are positively secured in the seating plane of the cell. These portions of the cell Walls are solocate'd ythat the portions of the Walls aboveI .Such plane i exert an effective cushioning force upon the contents, thus receiving the contents and supporting the same Without damage thereto and Without permitting settling thereof within the cells and consequent rubbing or vinjury by contact With the bottom of the container.

In accordance with the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide an improved container, the filler of which is so constructed as to protect the contents effectively from injury or'damage in transit.

A further object yof the invention is to provide a filler of thecharacter described Which affords a positive seat for the contentsk in a desired plane, cooperating portions thereof exerting a desired cushioning eiIect upon the contents to enablel such contentsto repose in.

a givenposition without injury due to shocks during transit.

Further objects, not specifically enumerated above, will be appa-rent as the invention is describe-d in greater detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective View showing the filler of a carton constructed in accordance with the present invention. n

Figure 2 is a plan view, showing the filler of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in section, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows. j

Figure 4 is a view in section, taken on line 4 4 of Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a plan View of one of the transverse strips shown inFigures 1 and 2.

Figure 6 is a plan View of one of the outside longitudinal strips of the carton shown in Figures l and 2.

Figure 7 is a plan view showing one of the four intermediate longitudinal strips of the carton shown in Figures l and 2.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a modified form of filler.

Figures 9 and l0 are views in section, taken on the respective lines 141-14 and 15-15 of Figure 8, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the above drawings, partcularly Figures l through 7, the filler will be seen to include eight (8) transverse strips, or partition walls a. These walls are scored intermediate the top and bottom edges thereof as indicated by the dotted line at a in Figure 5. At either extremity, and spaced inwardly from the sides of the strips a, the

walls are out downwardly at a2, the cut slanting inwardly at a3 below the scored portion a. Intermediate the sides of the strips a, upwardly converging cuts a4 are formed, these cuts converging in pairs as clearly shown in Figure 5. The corners a5 are preferably rounded to facilitate the assembly of the filler and provide for ventilation between the several cells.

Extending longitudinally of the ller, outside longitudinal strips or partition walls b are provided. These outside longitudinal strips are scored at b in the plane of the scoring a of the strips a. The cuts in partition walls o all extend upwardly from the bottom edge and diverge as they extend upwardly in pairs starting from either edge. Such cuts are shown at b2- in Figure 6, `the spaced corners 3 of the outer cuts being sharp as shown in Figure 6 to provide a bracing angle for the outer'transverse partition wall. `The remaining corners are rounded as at b4 for the purpose stated above.

Intermediate the longitudinal strips, or partition walls, longitudinal strips c are provided. These strips are scored at c and are formed with downwardly extending cuts c2 which slant inwardly at c3, the adjacent pairs of cuts from either side converging as clearly shown in Figure 7.

To assemble the iiller in such manner that the cuts described above form interlocking slots, the cuts in the eight (8) transverse partition walls a are first interlocked with the cooperating cuts of the four (t) intermediate partition walls, whereupon the outside longitudinal walls are applied to the transverse walls in such manner that the respective cuts interlock. The dismantling of the iiller may be effected only by the removal of the outside longitudinal walls, as will be clearly seen from a close inspection of the above drawings.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a filler is provided,the cell walls of which are parallel from the upper extremity thereof downwardly to the planeV of the scoring. From this point, the walls taper inwardly to form a seat for the article to be packed. The dimensions of the square portions of the cells correspond to the maximum diameter of the article to be packed. The article, therefore, naturally reposes adjacent the score lines of a cell instead of being anchored in the cell by frictionally engaging the straight or tapered sides thereof to bulgeV the individual cell y* walls. In this manner, the article practically floats between the walls and is free from vibratory shocks, the weight of the article being taken by the tapered portion of the cell. The foregoing tapered cell portion holds the article in the position first packed and prevents contact thereof with the bottom of the container, while the resiliency of the cell walls downwardly from the plane in which the cuts ZF and c3 terminate cushion the article against injury. As mentioned above, the outside longitudinal strips, being uncut from the top downwardly, bind the entire construction securely in assembled position.

The multiple wall pieces, spaced at the bottom and converging upwardly, in combination with the end wall extensions provide a structure which is not readily bent or broken by rough usage or by the closing of the cover..

tongues as in single wall filler constructions. On the contrary, these portions constitute effective buffers against displacement of the contents.

Obviously, the filler may be packed withinits container or it may be packed separately and then be inserted within the container. Several fillers may be separately packed and then piled one upon the other ywithout damaging the contents and many additional adthe minor axes, a .filler has been designed as shown in Figures 8, 9, and 10.

Instead ofproviding vertical wall portions as in the form shown in Figure 1 the transverse strips g are formed at the uppersides thereof and adjacent their extremities with slots g which slant upwardly away from they outer sides. The four intermediate longitudinal strips h are mounted as previously described in connection with Figure 1 and `formed with slots h which taper outwardly and upwardly as shown in Figure 10. The transverse strips thus slant in accordance with the slots h and the individual cells formed by the partitions are thus formed with a plurality of bearing surfaces on opposing walls to hold articles of the character described above more effectively.

Obviously, spacers couldy be placed between the upper portions of the yintermediate transverse Walls to cause them to slant yinwardly if desired.

While the invention has been `described with specific reference to the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited, save as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a filler strip for a container having a longitudinal scoring intermediate its top and bottom edges and parallel thereto to facilitate the bending thereof and cuts in the strip extending from one edge at an angle to the perpendicular to such edge to the scoring, and at an angle to the perpendicular in another direction on the other side of the scoring.

2. As an article of manufacture, a filler strip for a container having a longitudinal scoring, and transverse cuts in the strip, the cuts being perpendicular to the scoring on one side thereof and slanting with respect thereto on the other side thereof.

3. As an article of manufacture, a` filler strip for a container having a longitudinal scoring, and spaced pairs of transverse cuts in the strip, the cuts being perpendicular to the scoring on one side thereof and diverging in pairs away from the scoring on the other side thereof.

4. A filler for a container having a plurality of cells comprising longitudinal and l transverse walls having cuts formed therein,

certain of the walls intermediate the sides of the filler being spaced in pairs to form adjacent walls of adjacent cells, andcother of the walls being disposed at the sides of the filler to define the outer walls thereof, all of said walls having perpendicular portions and portions tapering toward the base.

5. A filler for a container having a pluralityof cells comprising longitudinal and transverse walls having cuts formed therein,

certain of the walls intermediate the sides of the filler being spaced in pairs to form adjacent walls of adjacent cells, and other of the Vwalls being disposedy atthe sides of the filler 

